Act 2 of Henry IV, part 2 runs 786 lines across 4 scenes with 16 speaking characters — about 24.2% of the full play.
Opens (Scene 1) — Mistress Quickly: “Master Fang, have you entered the action?”
Closes (Scene 4) — Mistress Quickly: “O, run, Doll, run; run, good Doll: come.”
Who carries the voice in Act 2
Female voices are notably stronger in Act 2 — 36% of this act’s dialogue vs. 9% across the full play.
Act 2
Male 506 · Female 280
The 4 scenes of Act 2
| Scene | Lines | Speakers | Share of act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scene 1 | 179 | 5 | 22.8% |
| Scene 2 | 166 | 4 | 21.1% |
| Scene 3 | 72 | 2 | 9.2% |
| Scene 4 | 369 | 11 | 46.9% |
Who speaks in Act 2
Leading voice: Falstaff with 23% of Act 2’s dialogue (178 lines).
| Character | Lines in act | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Falstaff ♂ | 178 | 22.6% |
| Mistress Quickly ♀ | 166 | 21.1% |
| Prince Henry ♂ | 116 | 14.8% |
| Poins ♂ | 68 | 8.7% |
| Doll Tearsheet ♀ | 68 | 8.7% |
| Lady Percy ♀ | 46 | 5.9% |
| Pistol ♂ | 34 | 4.3% |
Characters first heard in Act 2
| Character | Lines in play |
|---|---|
| Prince Henry ♂ | 196 |
| Mistress Quickly ♀ | 176 |
| Doll Tearsheet ♀ | 80 |
| Pistol ♂ | 76 |
| Poins ♂ | 68 |
| Bardolph ♂ | 51 |
| Lady Percy ♀ | 46 |
| Second Drawer ♂ | 11 |
| Gower ♂ | 10 |
| First Drawer ♂ | 10 |
| Fang ♂ | 7 |
| Peto ♂ | 6 |
Pacing across the 4 scenes
Scene lengths in Act 2 range from Scene 3 (72 lines, the shortest) to Scene 4 (369 lines, the longest), averaging about 197 lines per scene.
How Act 2 of Henry IV, part 2 compares to other histories
| Play | Act 2 lines | Scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry IV, part 1 | 850 | 4 |
| Henry IV, part 2 (this act) | 786 | 4 |
| Henry VIII | 752 | 4 |
| Henry VI, part 3 | 705 | 6 |
| Richard II | 649 | 4 |
| King John | 609 | 1 |
| Henry V | 566 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 1 | 530 | 5 |
| Henry VI, part 2 | 509 | 4 |
| Richard III | 425 | 4 |
About Act 2 of Henry IV, part 2
How many lines are in Act 2 of Henry IV, part 2?
786 lines spread across 4 scenes.
Who dominates Act 2?
Falstaff delivers 23% of the act’s dialogue (178 lines).
Which scene is the heaviest in Act 2?
Scene 4, at 369 lines — well above the act’s scene average.